Boats commonly employ a vertical pylon anchored in the boat for attaching the tow rope necessary for many water sports. Recently, extended pylons which are much higher than formerly known standard pylons, have been developed for use in the emerging sport of wakeboarding. Wakeboarding is a sport similar to water-skiing, wherein an athlete rides a wakeboard which is similar to a snowboard, and uses the boat wake as a ramp to execute jumps, flips, twists and so forth. The extended pylons are necessary to provide some element of vertical pull to the athlete, this vertical pull facilitating jumping higher than would otherwise be possible.
Alternatively, for purely recreational skiing or towing water toys, the tow rope is often simply tied to the boat. This results in an unbalanced pull on the boat however this is not a significant problem for such uses.
In all these water sports there is a problem of shock as the tow rope sometimes goes slack during certain manoeuvres, such as when the boat turns, and then tightens suddenly, with a resulting jerk and shock to the athlete. Tow ropes have a certain element of elasticity, however this must be slight as an elastic rope would reduce the athlete's control of the manoeuvres, leading to wipe-outs and possible injury.
This shock is a particular problem in wakeboarding as the athletes are often air-borne, resulting in a fairly slack rope which tightens and jerks when landing. Water skiers, and people riding tubes and so forth are also subject to such shocks, notably during turns, which can cause loss of control and injury.
A device for absorbing the shock of a tightening rope while allowing the athlete to maintain control would be beneficial in reducing injuries and enhancing the enjoyment of athletes. Such a device that would enhance the jumping abilities of wakeboarders would also be desirable.